Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, addressed the General Assembly on Wednesday in a discussion on the "Question of Palestine," in which the Assembly will vote on three anti-Israel resolutions as part of an annual series of resolutions known as the "Palestinian Package."
Ambassador Erdan responded to the resolutions that will be voted on and sharply criticized the resolution on Jerusalem, which deletes the original Jewish name "Temple Mount" and calls the site only by its Muslim name "Haram al-Sharif," ignoring the 3,000-year-old connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem.
Erdan also attacked the Palestinian Authority, which is running a campaign of lies and incitement against the State of Israel and did not even condemn the murder of the late Eli Kay in Jerusalem last week by a Palestinian Arab terrorist.
"Eli Kay, a young and vibrant 26-year-old, grew up in South Africa, but dreamt of immigrating to Israel, the homeland of the Jewish people. After moving to Israel, he spent time working on a Kibbutz – it was important for Eli to work the land and feel its holiness. Eli loved Israel, but he had a special connection with Jerusalem. He became a tour guide at the Western Wall and dedicated himself to sharing with others the unbreakable bond with the Holy City. Eli was accepting of everyone and always greeted people warmly with a smile, no matter who they were. Eli had been planning his upcoming engagement to Jen, his girlfriend. Jen was ready to start a family and spend the rest of her life with him, as Eli was the most gentle, caring, and considerate person she had ever met,” said Erdan.
“Tragically last Sunday, a Palestinian terrorist opened fire on a crowd in Jerusalem, brutally murdering Eli and wounding four others. Eli's only crime was being a Jew in the Holy City. The city that has been in every Jewish heart for three thousand years,” he added.
“And while this horrific act of terror devastated families and destroyed lives, the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas have not even bothered to condemn it. Do you know why? Simply because they are not interested in reconciliation. All the Palestinian leadership is interested in is promoting violence and incitement, while attempting to erase the connection between Jerusalem and the Jewish people,” continued Erdan.
“Spurring a culture of hate and incitement against Israel is more important to Palestinian leaders than improving the quality of life of their own citizens. The Jewish blood has barely dried, and you have the audacity to single out Israel for violence in Jerusalem? Today, you will vote on three resolutions. Three resolutions that have one purpose and one purpose only: to demonize Israel."
"One of the most absurd demands in these resolutions is the call to maintain the status quo in Jerusalem, when in essence, the resolution does the exact opposite. By referring to the holiest site in Judaism, the Temple Mount, only by its Muslim name, the resolution itself is changing the status quo! The hypocrisy of these resolutions is truly outrageous. A resolution about Jerusalem that does not refer to its ancient Jewish roots is not an ignorant mistake, but an attempt to distort and rewrite history! At every Jewish wedding ceremony the newly married couple stands under the wedding canopy and pledges to never forget their deep Jewish connection to Jerusalem, 'If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its skill,'" said the Ambassador.
“So let me be clear – whether it’s through terror attacks against Jews at our holy sites or biased UN resolutions that are completely detached from reality, the eternal bond between the Jewish people and Jerusalem – our capital – will never be erased," stressed Erdan.